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The Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), Duncan Amoah, has called on Ghanaians to look inward to combat the country’s drug-related problems. Amoah made the call after news of a large drugs trafficking case broke out in France involving a significant amount of cocaine.

The Executive Secretary appeared on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue program to talk about his view of the general apathy with which Ghanaians view the country’s drug problem. “We are all hypocrites as a country. We all feign concern for a phenomenon that we actually do not care about. We only care when there is a hue and cry around the nation or when a cargo of cocaine linked to Ghana is found in France,” Amoah said.

Amoah expressed deep concern over the prevalence of drug use in Ghana and the lack of a national conversation about it. “Ghana itself is a drug country. Our young people are being destroyed by drugs. There should be national conversations and regional sensitization to sensitize our people. Even the President and some ministers should go to the slums and have a dialogue with the people about drugs,” he added.

Amoah noted that the recent discovery of a huge amount of cocaine in Dunkirk, France, should reignite a lively conversation in Ghana about the country’s flagging war against drugs. According to him, a sizeable proportion of Ghana’s youth is already ravaged by the use of various drugs like tramadol.

Amoah cited a study conducted earlier this year in 2025 which indicated that tramadol was the drug of choice among most Ghanaian youths.

The study revealed that between 44.5% of young people in urban informal settlements and over 60% of the youth in commercial motor parks in Tamale took tramadol on a daily basis.

In addition, a considerable number of these youths also took the drug in conjunction with energy drinks or alcohol.

French Authorities Unveil Vast Cocaine Cache Hidden in Ghana-Clad Plastic Waste

The discovery of 3.9 tonnes of cocaine worth €225 million (about 2.99 billion Ghanaian cedis) in a shipping container of plastic waste that arrived at the Port of Dunkirk, France, on September 10, 2026, has raised more questions about Ghana’s inability to prevent the smuggling of large amounts of narcotics.

According to reports, the cache of cocaine was found in 167 ballot papers hidden among the plastic waste.

French authorities asserted that the container’s intended destination before being diverted to Dunkirk was Antwerp, Belgium. They are yet to determine how such a significant amount of cocaine could have been smuggled through Ghana’s export system.

The revelations have sparked controversy in Ghana as six people, including four Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) Customs Division staff, are facing charges in the Kwabenya Circuit Court. The GRA Customs Division officers are charged with conspiracy to export narcotic drugs, exporting narcotics without a license, and abetting the exportation of narcotic drugs. They were denied bail and ordered to appear in court as the case against them continues to gather momentum.

According to the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI), the GRA Custom Division’s officers scanned the containers and saw irregularities. However, the GRA did not hold the containers or take any other investigative steps. The containers were cleared for export on August 12, 2026, based on the scanning results.

The accused GRA officers allegedly failed to investigate the suspected cocaine containers, leading to the development of the case. The BNI’s investigation would determine whether the GRA officers’ actions were criminal or merely negligent.

Who is Behind the Smuggling of Such a Large Consignment of Cocaine?

In addition to the GRA officers, BNI’s investigation has zeroed in on the man believed to have owned the cargo of cocaine, known as Frank, who was arrested by the National Intelligence Bureau and detained. The NIB arrested Frank after subjecting him to a 48-hour investigative hearing. The intelligence agency is yet to determine the role played by F&F Logistics, the freight-forwarding company, in facilitating the shipment of the 3.9 tonnes of cocaine.

F&F Logistics is one of the many freight-forwarding companies in Ghana that specialize in shipping goods to and from the country. According to reports, the NIB is investigating whether the company violated any regulations by allowing the shipment to pass through the country.

The NIB’s investigations would identify whether F&F Logistics provided false information about the contents of the container, the nature of the goods, and the purpose of shipping them.

What Went Wrong at Ghana’s Ports? Why Didn’t the Scanners Pick Up the Cocaine?

Amoah raised questions about why Ghana’s ports failed to detect such a significant amount of cocaine. “It is a systemic problem that needs to be addressed. How did the cocaine get through the scanners? Who allowed it to happen?” he asked.

The concerns raised by Amoah are not new. Earlier this year, John Ntim Fordjour, the Ranking Member on Defence and Interior, warned the Ghanaian Parliament that the country’s ports lacked narcotics detection scanners. The Ntim Fordjour’s allegations are now coming to light as the NACOC announced that the Netherlands government donated intrusion scanners to the Commission last year.

There are growing concerns that Ghana’s ports may not have the necessary scanners to detect contraband items, including drugs. Worse still, Citi Newsroom has reported that NACOC personnel were withdrawn from the Tema and Takoradi ports for reasons yet to be determined.

Drug-related Stories Continue to Surface as Ghanaians Question Government Inaction

The news of the discovery of 3.9 tonnes of cocaine in Dunkirk adds to a long list of shocking stories in Ghana involving the large-scale smuggling and consumption of various drugs. Earlier this year, NACOC apprehended three men suspected of using a shipping container to smuggle 1,158 kg of cocaine to Antwerp, Belgium, in December 2025. Similarly, in June 2026, a large cache of 320 kg of methamphetamine supposedly from Ghana was found in Australia.

Ntim Fordjour warned that Ghana’s image was being tarnished because of the country’s inability to stem the tide of the rampant sale and use of various drugs. “It is not surprising that our country’s image is being marred and that we are beginning to be regarded as a country of international drug trafficking routes. I urge the Ghanaian people to rise up and demand an in-depth investigation into the huge amount of drugs that have been detected and seized in recent times,” he said.

The discovery of the huge amount of cocaine in Dunkirk has reignited political tensions in Ghana as the Minority in Parliament petitioned the House’s Speaker Alban Bagbin to recall the House from its recess to deliberate on the issue. Forty-eight Minority members signed the petition requesting the formation of an inter-party committee to investigate the matter.

The petition comes as the Majority questions the Minority’s ability to handle such a sensitive issue. It remains unclear what the Minority’s investigation will uncover, given the complexity of the issue and the involvement of GRA officers, one of the most crucial agencies in the fight against drugs in the country.

Amoah Sounds Note of Caution as Cases Against Suspects in the Smuggling of 3.9 tonnes of Cocaine Continue to Mount

Amoah has joined the chorus of Ghanaians calling for exemplary punishment for those found guilty of the smuggling of the large amount of cocaine detected in Dunkirk, France. At the same time, he urged the nation to remain calm and allow the rule of law to prevail.

“It is human to want to see the main actors of these intrigues suffer for the mischief they have caused. We will say, “let the blood flow”. That is understandable, but let the security agencies not trample over the rights of these people,” he said.

Amoah called for a clear delineation between those found to be involved in any way in the trafficking of the illegal drugs and those whose negligence may have contributed to the failure to detect the contraband at Ghana’s ports.

“I know some will be found to be innocent. Some may be complicit. Some have committed crimes of negligence. It does not make them drug dealers. We need to give them the punishment that fits their crimes,” he added.

Amoah urged the investigating agencies to rely on the phone tapping and communication records of the GRA officers to determine their roles in the trafficking of the large amount of cocaine.

The charges levelled against the GRA officers represent a severe test for Ghana’s anti-drug campaign as the country struggles to halt the spread of the use of various drugs and position itself as a regional leader in the fight against the trafficking of illegal substances.